Double Trouble
by Youkai-ChoGonou
Summary: Split up and scattered about the country was just the beginning of their problems when a case of mistaken identity lands Fai in prison only to be rescued by the last person he expected to see. Things grow even more complicated as doubles begin appearing..
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: This is a complicated idea I started playing with and have a great deal done, but before I put myself through trying to make everything work out in the end, I want to know if anyone even actually likes it. Comments will probably determine if this gets updated or left alone. Also note that the Japanese used by Kuro is me trying my absolute best. XD Don't kill me if I'm wrong. Also contains the characters Chii and Freya from Chobits.

**Warning**: Will also contain **spoilers** about Fai's past.

**Disclaimer**:_I do not own Tsubasa or the characters. Not getting paid and all that jazz._

Tsubasa 

Reservoir Chronicle:

**-Double Trouble-**

"—_Me myself and… Fai?—"_

"…_ai!"_

Everything was dark.

"…_ai! W…k… up!" _

Was someone talking to him?

"_Fai! …up!" _

Yes, someone _was_ talking to him! Slowly the fuzzy dark feeling began to drift away and the fog in his mind began to thin. Specks of light began to blur into his vision before taking shape and actually forming real images of a dark room. As the fuzzy feeling lifted he could feel a dull throb of pain in his head, gradually increasing in intensity as things became clearer.

"Fai! Wake up!" He could finally hear the everything the voice was constantly saying in a hushed yell.

It took him a few moments to realize his wrists were chained together behind his back but other than that he was unrestrained. His eyes fluttered a few more times before he sat up and scanned his surroundings for the person calling to him.

Slightly dazed blue eyes met large alert blue eyes of the same intensity and his blood froze in his veins. Soft light skin framed by lovely golden strands, a little too short to be in a ponytail but too long not to tie back.

"Yokatta!" The mirror image of himself smiled in relief.

How was this possible? Fai was… but wait, hadn't this _person_ called _him_ Fai? If _this _was Fai then shouldn't he be calling him Yuui? Yuui was his _real_ name. He'd taken Fai's name to use when he… A wave of nausea cut his thoughts short, sending him spiraling into darkness once more.

The magician slowly came to again seeing his double working furiously on something that was taking his full attention. Fai now noticed there were bars between him and his twin. Specifically, his double seemed to be working on the lock with heavy concentration and two slender metal tools.

"Don't worry Fai, I'll have you out of here in a few seconds…" The other said to him, sounding slightly worried. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, Fai."

Fai wasn't quite sure _what _exactly was his double's fault, but he didn't seem to have the strength to argue at the moment. His mouth wouldn't form the words he told it to. He must have a concussion. It would explain the nausea, the pressure, and the slightly spinning room.

There was a click and the door drifted open as the lock fell away. His double pushed in and scooped Fai into his arms.

"Forgive me, Brother. They thought you were me again. Maybe if I cut my hair they'll be able to tell the difference. You didn't do anything wrong this time." The double just kept babbling apologies as he hugged him tight. Finally he pulled back and looked into Fai's eyes.

"Are you ok?" He asked worriedly and held his brother's head still between his hands, looking deeply into his blue eyes. "How hard did they hit you? Do you remember who you are? You're Fai. Do you remember that? Do you remember me? I'm Yuui, your brother." The blonde double began to panic once more and Fai had to almost cover the other's mouth to make him stop. The sound was making his headache worse. His mind slowly processed the information he'd been flooded with.

"Yuui?" He asked with a slight slur in the name. How could this be Yuui if _he _was Yuui? Another wave of nausea hit him with a burst of pain and he fell into darkness again.

***

Sakura paced around in the police office with Mokona on her shoulder with an equally as concerned expression on his face. The door to their right opened and both jumped then looked expectantly at the officer who entered. He passed Sakura and whispered something into the officer's ear who was sitting at a desk. The man picked up the phone, said a few words that Sakura couldn't hear, then a soft alarm started to sound accompanied with flashing red lights lining the room.

"Ano…" Sakura tried to get the officer's attention and he turned to her as if he'd forgotten she was there.

"The man you were with that you identified as Fai has escaped." The man said flatly. "This isn't helping your 'mistaken identity' case in the least, Miss Sakura."

The green eyed girl's distress level jumped and she clung to Mokona in terror. Not only were they separated from Syaoran and Kurogane, but now Fai was missing! How could things go wrong this quickly? Sakura reflected on what had happened, trying to figure out if it could have been avoided…

They had only just landed in this world when several men in uniform turned a corner and attacked Fai in the alleyway. The blonde had gone down quickly, taking two strikes to the head by the strange club-like weapons, then cuffed. Sakura cried Fai's name when she saw him go down and then found herself cornered by three more men in uniforms. They restrained and cuffed her as well, taking her to the front office where they discerned that she was innocent of the crimes charged against the blonde. However, Fai matched the description of the culprit down to his unusual icy blue eyes. Everyone else in this country seemed to have brown or black eyes. Every now and then Sakura noticed a dark shade of reddish brown but most were generic brown.

She explained their situation to one of the men that seemed to be in charge and he said he'd check on Fai and question him when he woke. He was certain that this was the man. He'd been convicted many times before and always evaded capture. He explained that that was why they used such force to take him down. The man was so incredibly elusive that they couldn't take the chance.

This man, Fai, was a pickpocket and thief, managing to get away with every crime he'd committed. Eventually he stole from a few of the wrong people and everyone from the local mafia to the king himself was looking for him and offering high bounties for his body delivered alive. That last part, 'delivered alive', was one of the things that made it so difficult to capture him. They couldn't risk fire arms against the crafty thief because he was so slender and frail not to mention far too agile. Even the sharpest of sharpshooters could make a mistake at that speed and inflict a fatal wound.

"Bastard!" The man's cursing shocked Sakura out of her thoughts and she looked up with alarm. "We caught him! We finally caught him! And he still got away!" He snarled and chucked the phone across the room, hitting a wall and popping the speaker out and cracking the receiver.

The man in command turned to Sakura again and sighed. "If you give us your address we can get back to you the minute we have news on the slippery bastard."

Sakura shook her head. "That's no good… We're travelers. I don't have an address to give you." She said softly and Mokona nodded.

The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ok, I can suggest a decent inn for you… two to stay at." He hesitated before calculating the _pet_ into that. "What _is_ that thing anyway?" He asked, pointing at Mokona.

Mokona bounced. "Mokona is Mokona!" He chirped.

"Right…" The man said and handed Sakura a card with a little map, address, and name of the inn on it. "That should be fairly cheap and close enough that we can contact you when we find something out about your… er… friend."

Sakura thanked him and walked out into the street, looking around and trying to follow the map to find the inn. She didn't know what she would do when she found it. They had no money, or any way to try to track Fai down, nor did she know how to find Kurogane or Syaoran. She felt so helpless but at least she wasn't alone like Fai was right now… wherever he was.

The girl turned a corner, looking down at her map instead of in front of her and bumped right into someone…

"Fai!" Mokona cried and the next thing Sakura knew, there was a hand over her mouth keeping her quite and the other pulled her by the waist around the corner. She looked quietly up into the wildly searching blue eyes that seemed to be scanning every inch of what they could see. He pulled her deeper into the alleyway before releasing her mouth and looking at her.

"How do you know my name? I'd remember such a lovely face." He said with a playful little wink before his attention was drawn to Mokona. "And what is that?" He gently poked one of the droopy bunny-like ears.

"Mokona thinks this isn't Fai." Mokona said and wobbled when Fai accidentally tugged on the ear as he jumped away.

"It can talk?!" He asked then was right back in place, examining the little meat bun-like creature. "Amazing! Is it some kind of rodent?"

Mokona huffed and shook his head. "No! Mokona is Mokona! Mokona isn't anything else but Mokona!"

"My apologize, Mokona." Fai said with a bright smile. "I am Fai."

Mokona bounced happily. "Mokona and Sakura!" Mokona introduced. "But Mokona and Sakura are looking for another Fai that looks just like Fai but isn't Fai." Mokona said as if all should make sense after his explanation.

Fai was confused for several moments and then blinked. "You're looking for Yuui, my twin brother? Are you friends of his?"

Mokona frowned. "No… Mokona and Sakura are looking for Fai."

Fai's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Was there perhaps some kind of language barrier that they had hit? Maybe this little thing didn't truly speak his language and was just learning? Then again, he hadn't heard the girl speak at all. Were they foreigners? That would explain a few things. The girl's green eyes seemed to fit that theory as well as the strange pet and the inability for the little thing to articulate what it meant.

"Sakura-chan—May I call you Sakura-chan?" Fai began then interrupted himself to ask.

Sakura nodded. "Un!"

"Wonderful! Then, Sakura-chan, shall we discuss this over tea? I don't feel comfortable being out here in plain sight at the moment." Fai asked happily. When the girl nodded her approval he placed a hand on her back and guided her down the street, ushering them quickly back to a safe place that was a bit less open.

***

Kurogane growled and kicked the nearest tree. "Ch'kusho! Shiro manjuu! Omae wo korosu!" Kurogane continued to spew foul words, cursing Mokona and promises of death to the meat bun.

Meanwhile, Syaoran learned to tune out the tall ninja's profanity, unable to understand it anyway, for the most part. They were far enough away from Mokona that he couldn't understand any of what the ninja was saying. And that only seemed to anger the red eyed man further.

When Kurogane finally calmed down a bit he returned to the boy's side and asked something that he was sure was a question then pointed around them. Syaoran assumed Kurogane was asking if the boy had any idea which direction they should start walking in. The brunette shrugged and Kurogane started off in a random direction. Syaoran quickly followed and they began walking, hoping to find their way… somewhere. Every now and then Kurogane would unsheathe his sword and leave a mark in a tree indicating that they'd been there.

***

TBC

**AN**: It was suggested that I put a translation to what Kurogane said, so I will! ^^ From now on I'll try to add translations for the random Japanese words I use when writing. (If I remember) *Is a forgetful person* ^^;

Translation: "Dammit! White meat bun! I'll kill you!"

Other random translations:  
Yokatta = Thank goodness!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Ok, here's the next chapter! I'm kind of wishing these chapters weren't so short but that's what I get for being so eager to upload it to . XD I hope everyone enjoys.

**Note:** For those that don't know, Chii and Freya are both from Chobits, another of CLAMP's wonderful stories! I really hope I kept Freya in character. I don't really remember her too well.

Slowly, light faded back into his vision and he was able to discern that he was inside a house, laying on a bed or the floor. He was horizontal, since all he could see was ceiling. Just as his sight was returning, so was the pain, pulsing through his skull. He slowly tried to sit up and felt a hand push him back down. He turned his head and saw _Yuui_ rinsing a slightly bloodied cloth in a bowl of warm water. He smiled down at Fai.

"You're awake again. How are you feeling?" He asked. Fai noticed something was different about his speech patterns. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on but it seemed more… normal.

"Concussion…" Fai replied, somewhat slurred.

"I know." Yuui replied and gently folded the cloth onto Fai's forehead. "I'll take care of you until you're well, I promise. What am I good for otherwise?" He asked with a sad look and a shrug. This made something twist in Fai's stomach. He had to tell himself that this wasn't his brother. In some strange way, it was actually himself. The Yuui of this world. But that meant that there was a Fai of this world as well.

The blonde looked away and then back after collecting his thoughts. "Again, I'm sorry this happened, Fai. I should have waited for you in that alleyway. I could have thrown them off your trail. We're a team… you shouldn't try to do everything on your own." Yuui said sadly. He couldn't believe he'd let Fai get caught, even if it was for a little while.

Just then, a girl with long flowing blonde hair entered the room with a trey and two steaming bowls. Small cat-like pink and white ears drooped downwards from her golden locks, her soft brown eyes screamed innocence and her slender form was a work of art, dressed in the finest most extravagant white Lolita outfit he'd ever seen trimmed in gold and pink designs.

When she spoke, Fai couldn't understand a word of what she said. She set the tray down next to him on the bed and smiled at him. She spoke again in the language he couldn't understand and Yuui replied, in the same language. Fai looked back and forth between them. Had Mokona just drifted out of range? Or perhaps the concussion was messing with his mind.

Yuui looked down at Fai's confused expression and frowned. It was as if the double could read his mind when he spoke. "You can't understand us?"

Fai's confusion morphed into curiosity. Why could he understand his brother then? Were they speaking two different languages just then? In this world, were they bilingual?

Yuui smiled then looked back at the girl. "Chii, speak our native language. I think Fai is having trouble understanding the language of this country. They hit him pretty hard."

Chii nodded and took Fai's hand in hers. Chii's hands were cold as ice. "Chii hopes onii-sama will feel better soon!" This meant that Mokona was indeed out of range now but luckily they shared the same first language so communication with Yuui at least would be much easier.

Fai couldn't help but smile at her. He reached up and gently patted her head. "Thank you, Chii." She smiled and pushed into his hand like a cat before happily holding out a bowl of the hot soup.

"Is onii-sama hungry?" She asked but Fai shook his head and Yuui frowned.

"Yuui, I need to speak with you…" Fai said softly but everything was spinning again. The smell of the food had caused his stomach to lurch. "I…"

"Fai, you need to rest. We can talk when you're feeling a bit better. Just relax." Yuui said, leaving no room for him to argue then turned to Chii. "Thank you very much for the food, Chii, but I think Fai needs some peace and quiet for now." Chii nodded and practically floated out of the room.

***

Sakura watched as they approached the door of a mansion and Fai skillfully picked the lock in a matter of seconds before slipping the two pins back into his coat. He ushered Sakura and Mokona inside then locked the door behind them. He barred the door after locking it and then took her hand to lead her upstairs.

"I apologize for being so secretive. I also apologize that I couldn't take you to Yuui just yet. He's in another location at the moment and we can't be seen together for another few days. But you may stay here with me until that time." Fai said and walked them to a dining room area, pulling a chair out for Sakura.

No sooner had Sakura sat down than another girl entered the room dressed in an elaborate black Lolita outfit. Her long platinum hair falling past her waist and almost to her ankles. She smiled and Sakura noticed pink and white cat-like ears tucked into her long locks, along with her large brown eyes, giving her an almost sad expression even when she smiled. She held a silver tray with several cups and a steaming tea pot.

"Ah, Freya." Fai said with a bright smile. "Sometimes I swear you can read my mind." He commented and she smiled sweetly at Sakura, pouring cups of tea for each of them, including Mokona but not for herself.

"I just thought onii-sama might want a cup of tea when he returned, so I made tea. I didn't expect guests, but it worked out in the end anyway." Freya said softly.

"Thank you, Freya. You're so sweet." He said and patted her on the head. "This is Sakura-chan and her," He refrained from saying pet and just finished. "Mokona."

Freya smiled and bowed to both of them politely. "It's lovely to meet you both. I'm Freya." She said. "I do hope big brother is minding his manners around such a young lady." Freya commented quietly to Fai who laughed.

"I believe she has her eye on Yuui, Freya. No worries." He joked and Sakura turned cherry red.

"I-iya!" She said and shook her head quickly. "N-no! Not like that!"

"Sakura has her eye on Syaoran!" Mokona supplied for Sakura who turned even redder than before and wished she could hide under the table. Fai was laughing hysterically at the young girl's reaction and Freya was laughing softly with her hand over her mouth. Mokona sucked down his cup of tea and held it up for another happily. "More please!" He was unaware of what he'd caused and smiled happily as Freya began pouring him more.

Fai moved to wipe his eyes of the laughter tears and bumped Freya's elbow. The action resulted in the heavy tea pot slipping out of Freya's delicate hands and spilling towards Sakura. The girl flinched, bracing for the scalding hot liquid and heard Fai yell something that Sakura didn't understand. When she opened her eyes she saw Fai's hand outstretched, pointing at the liquid that was frozen in place. Both Fai and Freya wore a grave expression and Fai stood immediately. Freya ushered Sakura out of her chair and handed Mokona to her.

Fai fled the table and began gathering items of value to himself and Freya as well as hidden stashes of money and jewels. "Sakura-chan, please follow Freya closely. I will join both of you shortly, I need to gather a few things first. Freya will explain everything on the way." Fai said before leaving the room in quick long strides.

Freya continued ushering Sakura to a wall and tapped it lightly with one finger. An invisible seam traced a door into the wall in glowing blue then it slipped open for Sakura, Freya, and Mokona to enter. The room looked solid black. Even the light from the doorway didn't penetrate the darkness. It was as if the light just stopped at the threshold. This made Sakura hesitate.

"Please hurry and watch your step." Freya said and urged Sakura to walk through. Sakura did as told and stepped in. The moment she was through the doorway, the room seemed to brighten up and she could see everything bright as day. She turned to look through the door but it was nothing but blackness on the other side. Was this a magic portal? Freya soon stepped through and the doorway vanished into nothing but a stone wall.

"Please follow me." Freya instructed and they walked through the room, taking a hallway that looked more like a cavern in a cave than a room in a house. It was a sharp contrast from the room they'd just been in. Moss covered the dark walls that seemed to be flooded with light that didn't have an origin.

"Onii-sama's magic is a dangerous thing. Whenever onii-sama uses his magic, it puts him and Yuui-sama at risk. It is the same for Yuui-sama's magic. Chii watches over Yuui-sama and I can communicate with Chii so Yuui-sama will be on the move as well." Freya explained, though not entirely clearly.

"Why is it so dangerous?" Sakura asked as they walked through the winding tunnel that she was certain now was actually underground.

"Because king Ashura is after onii-sama and Yuui-sama. Ashura-ou uses magic as well. When onii-sama casts a spell, Ashura-ou's magic can detect where onii-sama is. Since onii-sama and Yuui-sama are twins, Ashura-ou can locate Yuui-sama as well through onii-sama." Freya answered.

"What did you mean when you said Chii watched over Yuui-san and you could communicate with her?" Sakura continued, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Chii is my other half. Kind of like how Yuui-sama is onii-sama's other half. Onii-sama created me and Yuui-sama created Chii. When Yuui-sama and onii-sama are together, their magic power grows very strong. Without being used, Ashura-ou can detect it when they're together. But when Chii and Freya are together we create a barrier that dampens the power and we hide them from Ashura-ou's magic."

"Then why don't Fai-san and Yuui-san live together with Chii and Freya? Then they can always be hidden." Mokona asked curiously.

"Because onii-sama and Yuui-sama both have big hearts…" Freya said sadly.

Neither Mokona nor Sakura knew exactly what she meant by that and Freya realized by their silence that they were confused.

"When Chii and I are together we're one. We are no longer two beings." Freya said. "I told you already that Chii is my other half. When we're together, we are not Chii and Freya. We are just one being. A compound spell. A barrier. Nothing more. This upsets onii-sama and Yuui-sama because they want us to be alive. To be sentient. Unfrozen. So they live apart most of the time so that Chii and I can stay as Chii and Freya."

Sakura looked sadly at Freya and hugged Mokona closer. They came to a dead end and Freya stood there waiting as she touched the stone wall. Another outline drew itself in glowing blue magic and formed a door of blackness. Something occurred to Sakura and her saddened expression deepened into a little frown.

"If you're hiding from the king so secretively, why are you telling me everything?" Sakura asked. "We just met."

"Because onii-sama trusted you enough to bring you here." Freya said then looked into Sakura's eyes. "And because I can tell your heart is innocent."

"Freya and Chii both have the amazing ability to see into someone's heart. They are wonderful judges of character. Freya didn't react negatively towards you, so I knew you were safe." Fai said as he came up behind them. "Shall we?" He asked and motioned towards the doorway.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Hai."

***

A man dressed completely in black with a hooded cloak darted through the streets. On his back he wore the crest of King Ashura in gold and an assassin issued sword was tied to his waist. No one paid him much mind. Everyone knew better than to interfere with the castle assassin's business, steering clear of his path to ensure they didn't get in the way. The man stopped outside the mansion that Sakura and Fai had entered not too long ago. Humoring protocol, he tried the brass handle to see if the door was unlocked. Of course, it was not, so he moved onto step two and kicked the door in.

The first kick caused something in the door to splinter and it broke free of the latch but there was something else, more sturdy, in the way preventing it from opening. He growled in annoyance, being the impatient type, and drew his sword. The assassin slashed at the wood until the door fell open allowing him to walk right inside.

Quickly, he scanned the house, every room he could force his way into was empty. He routinely tested the floors for trap doors but found none. Nothing in the walls either that he could see or hear. A hollow sound when tapped would be the perfect give away but nothing. Everything was solid. This frustrated him further and he stormed into the dining room. Just by chance, he noticed three steaming cups of tea and his eyes narrowed. Someone _had_ been here in the last few minutes. There was a puddle of hot tea on the table and in one of the empty seats with the half empty tea pot not sitting too far away.

The assassin examined everything carefully and noted that there had been at least three people here. A soft chirp caught his attention and he shoved his hand into the cloak to bring out a small communication device. Sliding back his hood to put the object to his ear revealed his shortly cropped black hair, tanned complexion, and angry crimson eyes.

"They've escaped. One of the escape routs leads into the eastern forest, the other into the southern forest. Take the eastern rout and cut off the first twin. We only need one and the other will follow." The voice said over the communicator.

"Hai." The deeper angry voice replied then shoved the communicator back into his pocket. He drew the hood back up and abandoned the house at top speeds to reach the forest before the twin.

***

TBC

Random Translations:

Onii-sama = Big Brother

Hai = Yes/Ok (Affirmative word)

Iya = No

Un = (Affirmative sound)

-ou = (Tacked onto the end of a name is short for Ouji which means king)


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**: Ok… don't kill me but, there will be a few character deaths. Not _main_ characters, but yeah… deaths nonetheless. If I had known this was going to happen I would have put a warning earlier but as it is, I never really plan too far ahead into my fics. The end just happens as I'm writing.

Fai was laying there in silence as Yuui periodically removed the cloth, soaked it in hot water and replaced it on his forehead when the door opened quickly. The delicate Chii rushed into the room and fell into Yuui's arms with a look of fear on her face.

"Freya told Chii to tell onii-sama to run!" Chii squeaked frantically and tugged on Yuui's arm. Yuui stared at her in confusion. Despite his confusion, he stood and gently ruffled Chii's hair.

"Chii, take Fai with you and escape. I will follow shortly." Yuui said and quickly went about gathering things.

Chii helped Fai up and to his feet then tried her best to support him as they walked. She lead him out of the room and to the living room. Across the room she touched a wall and a blue glowing outline of a door traced itself into the wall. When it finished, the magical door appeared, showing nothing but blackness. Chii and Fai stepped through and continued to escape through another room with yet another magical door, finding themselves in a tunnel.

"This is all created by magic?" Fai asked as he looked around and Chii nodded.

"Onii-sama and Fai-sama created it. Two of them, identical, for escapes like these." She explained.

Fai looked at her carefully. He wondered if Chii knew he wasn't her Yuui's Fai or if that was just a slip caused by the adorable way she spoke. "And you, you were created using magic?" He added.

"Hai. Chii was created by onii-sama and Freya was created by Fai-sama." She said again, alluding to knowledge that she couldn't know. Chii looked back at Fai as they ran through the tunnel. "Chii felt it when Chii saw Fai in the bed. Fai is not the Fai-sama Chii knows. Chii doesn't know if onii-sama knows this too. So Chii didn't say anything. Chii knew Fai would tell onii-sama when Fai felt comfortable."

Fai smiled softly at the silly girl. "Thank you, Chii. Who is Freya?"

"Freya is like Chii but is not Chii. Freya is Chii's other half. Freya is with Fai-sama." Chii explained everything to Fai as they walked and eventually made it to the end of the cavern where there was another magic door. Chii touched it and began to enter with Fai.

***

Sakura and Freya stepped out into the middle of the forest with Fai. Sakura gasped and turned around to look at the door before it vanished into thin air. She was amazed by how that seemed to work. Still gaping, she turned around to ask Fai about the magic used when she noticed he was glaring off in front of them. Freya stood protectively close to Fai and placed herself in front of Sakura to hide her. The little sandy haired girl peered around Freya's slender frame to see Kurogane standing several yards away with his sword drawn.

"You damn idiot! We've been looking all over for you two, where have you been?" Kurogane snarled but to his surprise found himself dodging a magical explosion. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Sakura was frozen for a minute, just gaping at the scene in shock before she threw herself onto Fai and clung to his arm.

"No! Stop, Fai-san! Kurogane-san isn't bad!" She shrieked.

Fai hesitated and looked down at Sakura, debating to shake her off or hear her through. He was about to ask her to explain when movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he swiveled quickly to face determined brown eyes of a much younger boy. He'd never seen this child before but he assumed the boy was with Kurogane and the King's assassin's force.

"Sakura-hime!" Syaoran called, confused by Fai's defensive position and the desperation in Sakura's eyes, not to mention the smoking hole in the ground next to Kurogane.

"Sakura… hime?" Fai asked and looked down at the little cling-on hanging to his arm. "You're a princess? I didn't know Ashura-ou had a daughter." He said incredulously.

"No! No… We're not from this country." Sakura said desperately and looked up into Fai's eyes. "Please, don't hurt them. They're my friends, not your enemies."

Freya interjected before Fai could say anything. "They have pure hearts, onii-sama." As she spoke, she gave Syaoran a look that made him feel a bit uncomfortable. "They won't hurt us." She finally broke the strange stare with the boy and returned her gaze to Fai.

Kurogane had waited patiently for things to cool down before he released his rage once more when he saw the blonde lower his attack stance. "_What_ the _hell_ is going on?" The only thing he seemed to grasp was that this wasn't Fai. At least, he wasn't their Fai.

Sakura looked back at Kurogane with desperate green eyes. "This is Fai-san. He is the Fai-san of this country." She said softly.

"Then where is _our_ Fai?" Kurogane asked grumpily, like an old man that missed his nap.

Sakura looked down and averted her eyes, slumping slightly, finally releasing Fai's arm. "I don't know… He was arrested but before I could talk to him, he was gone."

Kurogane growled losing patience. "What do you mean _gone_?"

"They said he broke out but… I don't think he was in any condition to break out." Sakura admitted and Fai's eyes widened slightly.

"Yuui must have broken him out!" Fai said and looked back at Freya. "Freya, ask Chii if Fai is with them." The girl nodded and seemed to zone out for a moment. Shortly after she seemed to come back to life and nodded to Fai.

"Chii says Fai is with them. He has a concussion and is currently in Yuui's care." Freya said and Kurogane relaxed slightly. Fai wouldn't have noticed this if he hadn't been staring directly at him when it had happened. The man was like a protective watch dog.

"Kuro-wanwan—" Fai began but the man exploded at the newly found nickname.

"YOU'RE JUST LIKE _HIM_!" The ninja snarled and waved his sword around for emphasis. The blonde couldn't help but start laughing at that reaction.

"Anyway…" Fai said as he wiped tears out of his eyes. "You're traveling with them?" He asked, his look hardening into a more serious expression.

"Yes." Kurogane grumbled, not enjoying how hard the blonde had laughed at his reaction. It was supposed to be intimidating not funny.

"Do you have a brother?" Fai asked sternly.

"What?" Kurogane asked.

"I know someone else who looks just like you. He is even a skilled swordsman. Yuui and I have narrowly escaped his attempts to capture or kill us." Fai explained and this seemed to unsettle Kurogane. "Earlier today I accidentally used my magic to prevent harm to Sakura-chan and because of that, I'm sure the assassin is after us. I thought you were that assassin seeing as you two look identical."

"Kurogane, Fai, Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona are all from different dimensions!" Mokona supplied and smiled brightly. "So that's why there are two Kuroganes and two Fais here now."

Fai stared for a moment as if waiting for the punch line of a joke but it never came so he seriously considered this. It made sense he guessed. Honestly, it made more sense than hearing that he was actually a triplet and the king's Kurogane was a twin. His gaze changed as he noticed Syaoran finally gathering the courage to move closer and inspect Sakura, asking her if she was ok.

"We need to find my brother before the other Kurogane does." Fai said with worry in his voice. "Especially if your Fai is with him and you two are as close as you appear. One hesitation and they might lose their lives."

Sakura nodded with determination and took Syaoran's hand tightly in hers giving it a squeeze. "Then let's hurry!"

***

Chii and Fai stepped out of the doorway and into the forest. Yuui still hadn't caught up to them but Chii assured Fai that he would be here soon. The doorway would linger open until he passed through it. Fai still leaned heavily on Chii for support and nearly tumbled to the ground when she was quickly ripped away from him. When Fai caught his balance, his eyes landed on a figure cloaked in black standing with Chii gripped tightly in one hand with his sword through the girl's stomach. Fai's eyes widened in horror as the man dropped the girl's limp body to the ground. Her eyes were wide but empty. Fai had only known her for a short while but he couldn't help but become attached to her because she was just like his Chii.

Fai held his swimming head and the sword raised, pressing the tip to his neck. The hood fell away and his eyes widened further when he saw Kurogane staring back at him. The magician's arms dropped limply at his sides. He stared at Kurogane in disbelief.

"Kuro-sama…?" Fai asked without much of a real question. Or perhaps it was a dozen questions at once. Why did you kill her? What are you doing here? Why are you so angry? What's going on? But none of them came out as he groped around for the ability to speak.

"Finally. I spent far too many years of my life chasing your ass! If I hadn't been ordered directly by the king not to kill you, I'd have done it already." Kurogane nudged Chii's body with his foot. "Your doll's broken, you can't hide anymore." The assassin put more pressure on the tip of the sword, almost breaking the skin of Fai's neck. "On your knees, hands over your head. If you try anything—ANYTHING—I will kill you." The man snarled threateningly.

Fai's mind couldn't seem to process the information in his current state so he just complied. The blonde dropped to his knees and lifted his hands over his head, lacing the fingers together and placing his palms flat against the back of his head. Shortly after, his wrists were grabbed and his hands were twisted back then behind him again so they were lowered behind his back and cuffed together, attached to a belt that was fastened around his waist so he couldn't move his arms but three inches from his back. Then a collar was fastened around his neck with a sturdy leash to keep him reined in.

Kurogane gave the leash a tug and growled. "Come on." This caused Fai to tip forward slightly, almost stumbling as he attempted to stand back up.

"Fai! Chii!" Yuui had come through the door and was terrified by the scene as it played out.

"The hell? There's two of you?" Kurogane snarled and shoved Fai to the ground again, holding the sword to his throat and looking back at Yuui dangerously. "Move and I'll kill him! I only need one of you." He swore the other one was on his way to the northern forest! King Ashura had confirmed it, and yet, here they both were, together. Why hadn't the King detected their presence together? He'd heard the king say once that when the twins were together their magical power was so overwhelming that he could feel it even when they weren't using magic so why didn't the king notice?

"Let Fai go! He didn't do anything, it was all my idea!" Yuui almost growled at Kurogane, protective of his twin brother. He wanted so badly to raise his hand and cast magic against the man but Fai was too close. Kurogane would surely kill him before his attack could hit. "Take me instead!"

The ninja looked down at the pathetic man he held captive. The frail magician could barely seem to keep his eyes open, let alone be a nuisance to him. Then again, he was a magician. Kurogane never had been a fan of magic. Magic users just didn't sit right with him. They were too hard to determine and it was nearly impossible for him to tell how strong they really were. So he made his choice.

"No. I'm taking both of you or I'm killing one of you and taking the other." He just couldn't trust one to let the other be taken in, even if he took the healthier twin up on his offer, the injured one would surely retaliate.

Fai saw Yuui settle into a stance of defense and he feared for the worst. How could he and Kuro-puu be such mortal enemies in this country? It made him fear for both of them. In the blink of an eye, Kurogane had left Fai's side and rushed Yuui directly, knowing the wizard wouldn't dare cast a spell, risking Kurogane dodging and it hitting Fai. This was too much for Fai, in his injured state, to handle. His vision swam as he struggled not to slip into darkness but to no avail.

***

**Translations**:

Wanwan = woof woof (Dog sound) (Kuro-wanwan was a nickname Fai came up with in Outo)


	4. Chapter 4 END

**AN**: More death. *Hides before she's pelted to death with stones.* This chapter will probably piss more than a few people off. ^^; But, this is the end so no worries. If you have no understanding of Fai's past, some of this may not make sense to you. I tried to be clear about it so people weren't left in befuddlement. XD So, needless to say, **spoilers** ahead. But, everything ends with a tragedy and a twist with a bittersweet moment. I tried to stick to CLAMP's theme the best I could. XD (Personally, I think I condensed too much information into the last bit. Gomen ne.)

Something caught Kurogane's eye as they ran through the forest to where the other Fai said the door should be. At first, the reason the object caught his eye was because it was white against the green and brown underbrush. Closer inspection told him it was a body. No sooner had he realized this than he heard an anguished cry from the other Fai.

"Chii!" The blonde was by the body in no time at all, cradling her in his arms. Freya moved to Fai's side and knelt down next to him. She zoned out for a moment, eyes going blank before returning and looking up at Fai.

"It was the assassin, Kurogane. Her last images were of him. The other Fai-san is in grave danger. They were alone when he attacked." Freya stated and then searched Fai's eyes in confusion. "Onii-sama?"

Fai gently set Chii down and lowered his head. The blonde bangs cast a shadow over his eyes, making it impossible to see what he was thinking or looking at. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Bother me?" Freya asked, not following.

"That he killed Chii." Fai clarified, earning him an even more confused look from the doll.

Angrily, Kurogane assisted the blonde. "She was practically your twin sister!"

Realization replaced the confusion on Freya's face and she frowned ever so slightly. "If you are implying I should feel the desire to seek vengeance against her murderer, then I fail to see your logic. In a sense, she was never really alive. Just a spell."

Despite the shadow concealing Fai's expression, Kurogane could still see the look of sorrow deepen. He knew the mage too well to be fooled by his twin brother's attempt to hide his emotions.

"I guess that's true. But you and Chii were more than just spells to me and Yuui." Fai said flatly.

Freya nodded. "You've expressed that before." She replied simply.

Fai decided to drop the subject at the moment and gently closed Chii's lifeless eyes before standing back up. "We have to find—"

Fai was cut off by a scream from Sakura. Syaoran was by her side instantly and grimaced when he saw the sight that caused the young princess to let out the startled cry. Mokona, on Sakura's shoulder, was hiding behind Sakura's collar trying not to look at the sight again. Fai and Kurogane rushed to the princess's side and mixed emotions swarmed both of their features. One thing was obviously shared in both of their minds. 'Please don't be mine.'

Syaoran was holding Sakura close, her head in his chest as he covered her eyes and comforted her. If the situation hadn't been what it was, he would have been blushing furiously. As things were, he found no room to enjoy the closeness.

A blonde and blue eyed body lay in the bushes, broken and bleeding. Several wounds carved into his body by a sword. Kurogane automatically spotted the fatal one in his chest. As Fai approached the body, all Kurogane could do was hope that the body didn't belong to their Fai. That thought left a bad taste in his mouth, not wishing it to be this Fai's brother either, but he couldn't help it.

"F-Fai…?" The body, still clearly holding some life, spoke and reached out to Fai who moved quickly to hold his hand.

"Yuui?" Fai asked and Yuui smiled.

"I thought… he… he had you…" His eyes darted to Kurogane and the dying male panicked. "Fai! Run!"

Fai looked back at Kurogane and then back at Yuui. "Iye… this isn't the assassin, Yuui." The words nearly choked in his throat as he spoke and pulled his brother into his arms who relaxed hearing those words.

"Ah… good… I-I'm glad that… you're ok." He said softly then looked worried again. "Chii…! He killed… Chii…" The blue eyes filled with tears again and he looked over at Freya who was standing behind Fai. "I-I'm sorry I couldn't… couldn't save her." Freya said nothing but closed her eyes and tipped her head down slightly.

Kurogane studied the doll for a few long moments and determined she truly was hurting. Not just for Yuui and Fai but for the loss of Chii whether she admitted it or not.

"Don't be stupid…" Fai replied, choking back tears for his brother. "What about you?"

Yuui's eyes dulled for a moment and then he looked away. "I… protected Fai." He said with a soft smile. Shortly after the words left his lips his features slacked and his eyes slipped closed. Fai couldn't hold his tears back any longer. The magician held his brother close as he cried.

Freya opened her eyes half lidded and stared down sadly at the scene. Kurogane could swear he saw the glimmer of tears in those brown eyes before she closed them again and knelt down to hug Fai in an attempt to comfort him.

"At least… you got to say goodbye." Freya spoke in a hushed voice to Fai and the blue eyes full of tears widened. He realized then just how badly Freya was hurting without her _sister_. Neither of them said another word for a while. The minutes stretched on and no one bothered them as they mourned until Kurogane just couldn't take it any longer.

"We… need to find Fai before something happens." He said after clearing his throat.

Fai nodded in agreement and gently settled his brother's body down on the ground again. The blonde said several words that Kurogane couldn't understand despite Mokona's translation ability and then Yuui's body vanished along with Chii's. Fai stood and started off, following the path he was sure the assassin had taken. There was only one place the man would take Fai.

***

Kurogane had had to carry Fai all the way to the castle after the fight. The blonde never awoke, but he periodically checked to ensure he was still alive. If the guy died, the king would be furious with him seeing as he'd already killed the other twin. Technically the king only said he needed one of them alive. Though, given the circumstances, he wouldn't have been able to succeed at all without killing one of them. He was sure his king could understand that. The assassin reached the doors to the king's throne room and knocked several times before entering. He lugged the mage's body to the king's throne and dropped him like a sack of grain at the king's feet. Kurogane knelt down and bowed his head obediently under the king's gaze.

"Here is the thief, Ashura-ou. As requested." Kurogane announced.

He was met with silence but didn't dare look up at his king until instructed to do so. Several moments passed and he heard the sound of fabric rustling as the king rose from his throne and stepped down to inspect the body of the mage. Fingers brushed through blonde strands as he pushed the bangs back to reveal the bandaged gash in his forehead, a result from the attack on Fai when he first entered this world.

Wordlessly, the king's fingers slipped under Kurogane's chin and forced him to tilt his head up. The assassin found himself staring into the soft honey brown eyes of his king. Kurogane's body froze when their gazes locked and he could feel something was wrong. His king was displeased about something despite how serine his expression was. He could just _feel_ it. The unsettling gaze would have continued if Fai hadn't begun to awaken.

The mage groaned and shifted on the ground. He felt sick. He was exhausted and could barely command his body to shift let alone open his eyes. He tried to put his hands out in front of him and push himself up but found they wouldn't move. Only then did he recall that his arms were bound behind him. As his mind began to defog he felt a presence near him that terrified him but he was still unsure why. His head was pounding, he could hear his heartbeat in his ears, and he couldn't open his eyes despite how hard he tried. Even through the beating of his heart he could hear the sound of a short muffled cry of pain then the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Then something brushed past him, lifting his head up off the ground.

"You are not my Yuui. You belong to someone else." A cold voice whispered into his ear. He could feel the chilling breath on his cheek almost as if the breath had belonged to Death itself. He couldn't move. Couldn't pull away. Couldn't even open his eyes to look at this being that held him so close. More icy words like a chilling winter's breeze were spoken against his cheek. "You cannot escape him as my Yuui has escaped me. It is not meant to be." Fai's breath hitched and his mind clicked with what his captor was saying. This man was…

Searing pain erupted through Fai's skull and he cried out. He never felt his head hit the ground again. He never noticed the presence of Ashura-ou vanish. He never even felt the strong arms that lifted him off the ground and the gruff voice that called his name repeatedly in panic. Things just faded to black once more.

***

Fai could hear voices in the background as his mind began to awaken. He cracked his eyes open and quickly closed them with a groan. The light was too bright. He heard shuffling by his side and opened his eyes again. He found himself staring up into concerned crimson eyes.

"Ah… Kuro-muh is a sight for sore eyes." The blonde chirped in a slow lazy voice. The ninja scoffed and his brow twitched in annoyance.

"He's just fine." The ninja growled and several more faces filled Fai's vision. Sakura and Mokona were two of the first, both smiling brightly, relieved to see Fai awake and well. Then was Syaoran who wore a soft smile of his own. And finally, two faces he recognized too well.

"Fai?" Fai asked with surprise and his eyes drifted to the next. "Chii?" Both expressions dropped at that and the twin looked away.

"Iya, Chii… Chii didn't make it. This is Freya, her…" Fai began but couldn't quite find the right word.

"Sister." Freya supplied with a soft, yet sad, smile. "I'm Chii's twin sister." She said almost proudly.

Fai smiled up at both of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Freya-chan." He said sweetly and tried to sit up. He was happy to notice his head wasn't spinning or throbbing and he wasn't feeling sick.

Sakura had disappeared but quickly returned with a bowl of soup. "Fai-san has been sleeping for almost a week!" Mokona piped up from Sakura's shoulder. "So Sakura and Mokona made something for Fai when he wakes up!" The little meat bun looked so proud of himself.

Fai looked up from his bowl and glanced at Kurogane. "How did you defeat the other Kuro-meanie?" He asked curiously. He thought the idea in itself was somewhat tragic. Speaking of doubles, he noticed he didn't see Yuui anywhere.

"The _other_ Kurogane was already dead when we got there. You were lying on the floor unconscious next to his body. We thought you…" Kurogane didn't need to finish his thought, though he seemed relieved to learn that Fai hadn't killed the other Kurogane. The thought scared him for some reason.

"No." Fai said and slipped into thought. "The last thing I remember was the beginning of the fight between Yuui and the other Kuro-tan." He said then asked, "Where is Yuui, by the way? I would like to thank him and properly apologize for…" Fai trailed off as he noticed everyone's dismal expressions.

"Yuui and Chii were both killed… by the other Kurogane." The other Fai announced solemnly. He averted his gaze from Fai's, unable to weather the shocked expression from the one that looked just like his brother.

Fai was dead in his world and he was dead in this one. Fate—no—Hitsuzen… If he hadn't arrived here, this could have been avoided. Yuui and Chii would be alive. Two less people would be aching and incomplete. This was the curse of the twin, was it not? He was a bringer of disaster and misfortune to those around him. That's what the king had told him. That's why all these terrible things happened to his world. And to Celes. And his Fai. And his Ashura-ou.

"Oi." A gruff voice caught his attention and he looked up into red eyes that were staring sternly down at him. "Don't be an idiot." The ninja replied and Fai forced up a plastic smile but the ninja cut him off before he could say anything to piss him off.

"I could see it in your eyes. You were blaming yourself for all of this and it wasn't your fault!" The room went silent as Kurogane raised his voice to the blonde.

Mokona hopped around from shoulder to shoulder and tried to break the tension. He hated tension. "Hyuu-hyuu! Daddy's yelling at mommy!" The little white meat bun cooed then danced out of Kurogane's striking range. The ninja swatted at the little puff a few times before it dived into the safety of Fai's neck.

"Che! Teme." Kurogane growled then sent a one eyed glance back at the blonde who was smiling and comforting the little fluff ball. He grumbled something to himself then stood silently.

The other Fai slipped back into view. "Fai, did you… did you kill Ashura-ou?" He asked, though he already knew Fai couldn't remember. "Rumor has spread around that the king has gone missing."

Fai paled hearing that name. This world had a king Ashura as well? This was the first time he'd heard the name of the king and things started to make more sense. Though he felt like there was something he should know but couldn't remember. The nostalgic feeling was there but the memory was not. Even without the memory, for some reason, he knew that, without Yuui, this world's Ashura would not appear again. His cheek was suddenly very cold for no apparent reason. He covered it with his hand to warm it up once more. Ashura-ou was the reason he was running. The reason he never wanted to return and yet he'd been so close to him this whole time without realizing.

"No, I didn't. I never… I don't remember even seeing him." Fai said softly.

"Well, something happened. The _other_ Kurogane didn't just kill himself and leave you home free." Kurogane said skeptically. He didn't like the feel of another version of himself, let alone an _evil_ one at that.

A powerful and very chilled gust of wind shattered the windows and the lights went out, leaving everyone in darkness. Syaoran jumped to Sakura's side protectively, Kurogane's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and Fai stood ready to cast a spell. Though nothing seemed to happen. Another powerful gust of wind blew something into the room and Mokona popped out of his hiding spot between Fai's shoulder and neck.

"Mekkyon!" Mokona chirped and his eyes opened wide.

"A feather?" Fai gasped and Syaoran retrieved the object. Sure enough, there was a feather tucked inside a scroll. The brown eyed boy held the feather tight as the lights came back on and everything seemed back to normal apart from the shattered window and mysteriously appearing feather. He unrolled the scroll and read it aloud:

"Dear Prince Fai of Yukigakure,

This kingdom now belongs to you. The official paperwork can be found under the cushion of my throne bearing my official crest and signature. Please make use of that feather. It possesses great magical properties. I'm sure you can fine _some_ use for it.

Best wishes,

Ashura"

The other Fai didn't know what to make of this. It tore him apart to think that this man that had caused the death of his brother and Chii could have possibly not been as evil as he thought. He and Yuui had been illegitimate twin sons born of the Queen of Yukigakure. But other than himself, Yuui and their _mother_, no one had known about their illegitimate birth. No one questioned their brilliant blue eyes that didn't match either of their alleged parents. She sent them out of the country as soon as they were able to walk on their own and reported them dead in an accident to erase them from any records. They survived on the streets as thieves, able to use magic that matched even that of the mighty king Ashura, which aided them in their survival and earned themselves a bad reputation from the start. He had no idea how Ashura-ou found any of this out or why he would just turn rulership over to him. Especially after such a tragedy.

Fai gasped as he held the note tighter, considering something. Had that been why Ashura had put out a bounty on them yet clearly instructed that they be captured alive? No one could simply contact either of the twins which made it impossible to reach them peacefully. The only way for the twins and the king to meet would be if one of them had been captured. Fai closed his eyes tightly and tried to hold back tears. Yuui's death was… an accident? Something that wasn't supposed to be? Ashura's intentions had never been hostile from the beginning.

Freya wrapped her arms around Fai and hugged him, attempting to console him. He looked up into her brown eyes and noticed they looked dazed. Before he could question it, she spoke.

"When Fai-sama is like this, Chii aches here." Freya said and gently touched two fingers over Fai's heart. "Chii wants Fai-sama to be happy."

"What did you say, Freya?" Fai said, stunned and the dazed expression cleared from her eyes.

"I didn't say anything, onii-sama." Freya said, confused.

Everyone was silent for a long time, looking at Freya who thought she should probably feel uneasy. She shifted and then finally looked away. The silence was finally broken by Fai, who had somehow silently slipped out of the bed.

"Syaoran-kun, you should probably return the feather to Sakura-chan." Fai stated and motioned to the feather clenched in Syaoran's hands.

"Oh, hai." He said and turned to his princess. She nodded and he held the feather out to her. It floated towards her and slowly integrated with her with a magical glow. Promptly, the princes slipped into slumber, caught in the boy's arms.

Mokona jumped into the air and began to glow, long flowing wings sprouting from the small round body. The light began to engulf the little group. Fai stepped towards the other Fai and Freya with a warm smile.

"Take care, Fai." He said softly and ruffled Freya's hair playfully. "You too, Freya-chan." Both nodded and in the blink of an eye, the group of foreigners had disappeared with a flash.

END

**AN**: Thank you for the comments! ^-^ (Because I'm not sure if the 'reply' feature works)


End file.
